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30 September, 2011

Carob and Blueberry Vegan Squares

When it comes to food I'm probably more curious than in any other field.
Therefore, when I see a recipe like this, without a single ingredient of animal origin, even though I'm not vegan, curiousity pushes me to give it a try.
I'm not used to baking without eggs and the result, I must say, is different than in traditional baking. This cake has a totally different texture. It is dense and full of flavour coming from all the great ingredients put together. Being sweetened with malt, it is also not as sweet as it is case when using sugar.
Particular taste comes from using carrob powder, and I really like that taste. It reminds me of my childhood, when we used to eat carrob pods right off the tree. If you don't know anything about carob, check this article, it's an interesting and healthy ingredient to introduce into your diet, occasionally or as a substitute for chocolate.
And then the addition of dried prunes and fresh blueberries, probably the best part. My only regret is not having fresh figs, to serve with this dessert as the original recipe suggested, but this year they were such a rare sight where I live.
If I decide to make this again, I think that adding one egg would move it one step up on my scale of liking.
However it was pretty good and it was nice to try something new.
I made this cake two weeks ago while my parent-in-law were visiting. After they left, my husband said his mother appreciated this cake a lot. Since I never saw her eating a single piece, I'm still trying to figure out wheter she ate it while I wasn't around or he's teasing me as he usually does when it comes to "the strange stuff I make". To be clear, for my husband, "strange stuff" is anything, from fresh herbs to really uncommon ingredients.

Sift the two flours, the carob powder and baking powder together and place in a mixing bowl.
Put the fruit juice, the oil and the malt syrup in another bowl and whisk until blended well.
Add the wet mixture to the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
Add the blueberries cut in half and the chopped dried prunes.
Prepare a 20x30 cm baking pan - brush it with oil and dust with flour, or simply line with a piece of baking paper.
Pour in the batter and bake the cake for about 20 minutes in the oven preheted to 180°C.
Remove the cake from the pan and let it cool on a cooling rack.
Cut into 12 squares and serve.

The original recipe suggests to serve these squares with fresh figs on top, dusted with cinnamon and roasted in a hot oven for 7-8 minutes. Unfortunately, I didn't have any, but I'm sure they would be a great addition.